faith and practice

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F r i e n d s S c h o o l o f B a l t i m o r e

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Faith and Practice

Friends School Mission StatementFounded in 1784, Friends School of Baltimore provides a coeducational, college preparatory program guid-ed by Quaker values of truth, equality, simplicity, community, and peaceful resolution of conflict.

By setting high standards of excellence for a diverse and caring community, Friends seeks to develop ineach student the spiritual, intellectual, physical and creative strengths to make a positive contribution to theworld.

Recognizing that there is that of God in each person, the School strives in all its programs, policies andaffairs to be an institution that exemplifies the ideals of the Religious Society of Friends.

Friends School PhilosophyFriends School seeks to live the conviction that there is that of God in each person. This conviction guidesall teaching and personal interchange. Because Friends values diversity, we cherish our differences and viewthem as opportunities for learning. All members of the community strive to work together toward the bestdevelopment of individual and group potential in a co-educational environment that is inclusive, respectful,and supportive of all people.

Quaker education is a pilgrimage—a seeking after Truth that is not static or fixed, but is in a continualstate of fulfillment. Friends endeavors to be a learning community for both students and employees. It needsand seeks the support and cooperation of all members of the School community—students, faculty, staff,parents, alumni, and friends—in achieving its goals. The School values its freedom to experiment and toenter fields of controversy. The School cherishes simplicity, reflection, meditative concern, and hope—valuesthat permeate every aspect of Friends School life and which are most directly practiced in regular Meetingfor Worship.

Friends is a college preparatory school and has developed a Pre-K-12 program intended to be most effec-tive for young people who will prosper in an enriched and challenging academic environment. All divisionsof the School work to achieve a joyful, nurturing, child-centered community that fosters a variety of age-appropriate experiences. The School believes that it should educate for the whole of life and that its intellec-tual environment should foster the development of fulfilled and morally informed individuals.

Friends School believes that through self-awareness, growth, and service to others, that of God in eachperson is made manifest.

Friends School of Baltimore FAITH AND PRACTICE 1

Faith and Practiceof

Friends School of Baltimore

While the Society of Friends has no formal creed, it holds as the basis of its faith the belief that Godendows each human being with a measure of the Divine Spirit. More simply stated, there is that ofGod in everyone. The gift of God’s presence and the light of God’s truth have been available to allpeople in all ages.

Faith and Practice of Friends School of Baltimore describes beliefs and practices of the ReligiousSociety of Friends (Quakers) that guide everyday life. It is designed to give students, staff, parents,trustees, and the interested public a description of these Quaker beliefs and practices, and to providea starting point for reflection on their role in the school community. This Faith and Practice can beused as a reference point by members of the Friends School community to reflect on the progress oftheir own spiritual journeys and to help in making life choices.

This Faith and Practice is intended to be a living document that is open to revision in the contin-uing search for truth.

Table of Contents

The Quaker Spirit 2

Meeting for Worship 2

Truth and Continuing Revelation 3

Nurturing the Gifts in Each Person 3

The Responsibilities of the Individual 4

Equality 6

Simplicity 7

Peace 8

Decision-Making 9

Cooperation and Competition 12

Friends School as a Caring Community 14

History of Friends School 16

Baltimore Yearly Meeting Statement 19

Glossary and Bibliography 21

2 FAITH AND PRACTICE Friends School of Baltimore

The Quaker SpiritThe Religious Society of Friends is guided by the understanding thatthere is “that of God” in each human being and by the importance ofa continuous search by each individual for increasing knowledge andwisdom. From these understandings, the values of speaking truth,treating all human beings with respect, living simply, striving forcommunity, and resolving conflicts through peaceful means can natu-rally unfold. These values, known as testimonies when lived throughone’s life, form the foundation of the philosophy of the Quaker Spiritat Friends School.

Meeting for WorshipAs a community we gather quietly for Meeting for Worship, usuallyonce a week. Understanding that there is that of God within everyperson and that the light of God’s truth is accessible to everyone, wesit in silence, waiting and listening. For some younger members ofthe community, sitting in silence might mean simply practicing beingquiet. For others it is centering, a time to rest from the day’s activities.And for others, Meeting is a time for deeper reflection, for contem-plation, for prayer.

Any person may be moved to stand and speak during Meeting.We listen to each other with open minds, quietly, not arguing men-tally, not judging, not rushing to formulate a response. After a time ofquiet reflection, another person may stand to speak. Some Meetingsare entirely silent; others evolve into a thoughtful sharing of com-ments, ideas, wisdom.

The experience of sitting together in silence, open to the Lightwithin, helps to overcome our differences and approach the sense ofoneness. As George Fox tells us, “in the Light wait, where unity is.”

Queries:1. How can we make Meeting for Worship in the

school community meaningful for everyone?

2. Do I enter the Meeting in an attitude of quietexpectation and openness?

3. Am I careful not to disturb the Meeting bycalling attention to myself or by communicat-ing non-verbally with my friends?

4. As I sit in Meeting, am I open to new learningand growth?

5. Do I listen with empathy and an open mind,believing that God’s truth is available to everyother person as well as to me?

6. Do I stand to speak when I feel moved by theSpirit within?

Truth and Continuing RevelationIn the process of worshipping silently in a group, as well as in indi-vidual meditation, we wait for leadings from the Spirit. These maycome in messages from others, or in our own openness to our spiritu-al resources. This principle of being open to new truths is termed“continuing revelation.”

In the realm of a Friends school, this principle means that newtruths may be revealed from many sources: teachers, students, admin-istrators, parents, scholars, and our own inner inspiration. Theprospect of truth leads to openness in listening to and respecting theideas of others. We do not limit ourselves to one approach to educa-tion. The possibilities of continuing revelation through individual andcorporate discernment are central to curriculum development in aFriends school. In this manner, the spiritual and educational arewoven together.

Queries: 1. How does my life reflect the belief that we con-

tinue to receive teachings and Truth from theSpirit directly, as well as through others whoseek wisdom?

2. In what ways am I open to knowledge and tothe ideas and beliefs of others?

3. How do I promote a climate of respect amongothers for considering the ideas of all?

4. Am I willing to speak from deep reflection,sharing my own insights?

Nurturing the Gifts of Each PersonSeeking, bringing out, and nurturing each person’s individual giftsand contributions to the classroom and community are integral toeducation at Friends School. We make a conscious effort to treat eachperson as a unique individual, worthy of love and care and capable ofgreat accomplishments, no matter what his or her gifts may be. At thesame time, we cultivate the responsible exercise of individual freedomin our diverse community.

The School encourages active listening in the classroom, which isa “meeting for learning,” and in other gatherings. We often use coop-erative strategies for learning between students and teachers as well asamong students. We respect that of God in each person and eachindividual’s own search for truth and experience in the light. We sin-cerely attempt to maintain an openness to wisdom which can comefrom any corner of the classroom, meeting, or other gathering.

Queries:1. How can I become more open to the emotional,

intellectual, and spiritual needs of the peoplearound me?

2. Do I listen to and respect the light within eachperson?

3. How can I contribute to a learning environmentor meeting that incorporates respect for eachperson’s own knowledge and perspective?

4. How do I help my classes to be meetings forlearning? Do I listen with an open mind?



The Responsibility ofthe IndividualWhen a community holds at its corethat there is that of God in every per-son, each individual has a responsibili-ty to the community as a whole to livethat belief. Embracing the idea that allof us are seekers, we weave into ourlives certain testimonies that speak ofour faith and give significance to ourlives. We value truth, equality, simplic-ity, community, and a harmony gainedthrough peaceful resolution of conflict.These testimonies help to guide ouractions, keeping before us an aware-ness of our relationship to other peopleand to our environment. As part of thelife and program of Friends School, weask every individual in this communityto reflect upon and take ownership ofthese testimonies.

Queries:

The testimony of truth

1. Do I try always to speak the truth?

2. Do I listen carefully, deeply, and respectfully to what others have to say?

3. Do I hear constructive criticism with humility and without thought ofretaliation?

The testimony of equality

1. Am I respectful of persons regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, culture,gender, income, age, sexual orientation, physical or learning differences?

2. Do I see and celebrate the differences among those I meet?

3. Do I avoid participation in, and tacit approval of, exclusive groupings?

The testimony of simplicity

1. Do I value persons for their actions and integrity, rather than their physi-cal appearance or economic background?

2. Do I spend resources carefully, living with less so others may haveenough?


The testimony of community

1. Do I willingly engage in community service?

2. Do I willingly give of my time and energy to committees that servethe health of the community that is Friends School?

The testimony of harmony

1. Am I committed to peaceful resolution of conflict?

2. Do I practice peaceful means to work out differences?

3. Am I committed to an environment that is free of bullying, and otherforms of harassment, for all members of the school community?


EqualityWe appreciate the wisdom of Martin Buber’s words that,“We are all human before we are of one race or another, andit is on this common ground of being human that we livetruly and on which we meet.” The concept applies to themany differences in individuals and groups, and these differ-ences are crucial aspects of a meaningful education. Webelieve in the equal right of each human being to be treatedwith dignity and respect.

We are committed to building and sustaining a diversecommunity. We seek to broaden the community’s experiencein the understanding of and sensitivity to differences in peo-ple regarding race, ethnicity, religion, culture, gender,income, age, sexual orientation, physical or learning differ-ences.

We work to create an environment which fosters dignityfor all members of the Friends community and beyond, andempowers people to act with conviction to counter obstaclesthat derive from prejudice and ignorance. It includes theclarity of knowing when and how to “speak truth topower”—that is, to stand up for what is right. It enables arespect for differences while celebrating what all have incommon. It encourages all voices to be heard and fostersinteraction among all groups for the common good.

The School continues to develop and implement aninclusive curriculum, which reflects diverse perspectives andencourages critical thinking.

Queries

For the individual

1. Do I treat every member of the Friends School commu-nity with dignity and respect?

2. How do I take actions that encourage tolerance andacceptance?

3. Do I speak out against prejudice and discrimination?

4. How do I convey the message to others that prejudiceand discrimination are unacceptable?

5. How do I participate in Friends School’s commitment toassuring a diverse community?

For the community

1. How do our school environment and curriculumembrace the concept of equality and create tolerantand open-minded students?

2. How does our School communicate to the larger com-munity that prejudice and discrimination are unaccept-able, and how does it seek to teach the significance ofthe human equality and dignity of all people?

3. How does our School provide resources as required forstudent recruitment, financial aid, faculty hiring, specialfund raising, and other initiatives that support theopportunities for the School to reflect the broadersociety in which we live?


SimplicitySimplicity is not dull. It reflects a beauty of style and a refine-ment of character which illuminate the lives and work ofthose who practice it. According to Robert Lawrence Smith inhis book A Quaker Book of Wisdom, “The simplicity oflifestyle that Friends extol is not based upon forsaking worldlygoods and pursuing some vision of a less complex bygone era.It’s more like a reliable standard that is always available, a firstcousin of moderation that can become a way of life….ForFriends the word “simplicity” describes a way of life that fol-lows naturally from a way of worshipping.”

“An educational principle of a Friends school is the devel-opment of a mature self-discipline that enables each memberto enter more fully into Truth.” (The Peculiar Mission of aFriends School). In order to achieve this self discipline, the ves-tiges of wasteful consumption, rivalry, excesses in speech,dress, and behavior yield to the search for personal and insti-tutional integrity and ultimately for Truth.

Queries:

For the individual

1. Do I cultivate healthful and moderate habits?

2. Do I avoid over-indulgence?

3. Do I let my possessions and the desire for things dic-tate how I live?

4. Do I use my time thoughtfully and consciously?

5. Am I aware that my words as well as my actionscontribute to the climate of the school community?

For the community

1. How do we reinforce the values of quality and econo-my and avoid both wastefulness and extravagance aswe improve our educational enterprise and environ-ment?

2. How does our commitment to simplicity guide us inbeing good stewards of our land, buildings, andresources?

3. How does the School’s presentation of itself in publi-cations and other media speak to the testimony ofsimplicity?

4. How does the School’s use of public spaces and itscampus speak to the testimony of simplicity?


PeaceThe testimony of peace calls us to strive for harmony among all peo-ple, nations and individuals. If we recognize that every person has aspark of God within, and we are all striving to live according to thatlight, we will try not to harm one another or to treat others aggres-sively.

The testimony of peace is interconnected with the Quakers’ othertestimonies. If we live in peace, we create community. If we treat allpeople as if they have the same spark of God in them that we have inourselves, we practice equality. If we seek to eliminate conditions ofinequality in the world, and to value people over possessions, weencourage simplicity.

Quakers object to the use of violent means to resolve differencesand have long been associated with pacifism in response to militaryconflict. In 1661, George Fox and his followers declared to KingCharles II, “We…utterly deny all outward wars and strife and fight-ings with outward weapons, for any end or under any pretense what-soever.” Throughout their history, Quakers have supported individu-als in conscientious objection to participation in war. However, sincethe Civil War individual Quakers have wrestled with their own deci-sions about war and peace with the support of the community.

At Friends School, we strive to promote harmony among allmembers of the community. Students learn techniques of conflict res-olution that they apply throughout their years at Friends. At all levelsand in all divisions, we encourage open discussion of differences,leading to understanding and tolerance.

Queries: 1. How do I strive to live in harmony with

those around me?

2. When I disagree with someone orbecome angry, how do I handle thevarious levels of conflict?

3. How do I seek ways to promote peaceboth within my community and in theworld?

4. How can I maintain an attitude ofpeace in times of turmoil and conflict?

5. How can I articulate a position thatsupports peace when I am surroundedby others’ desires for attack andrevenge?


Decision Making

The Sense of the MeetingIn reaching decisions, Friends honor that of God in everyone. Insearching for divine guidance, they invite each person to contributeto a decision from his or her measure of Light. Friends do not vote.Rather than using ballots or a show of hands to allow a majority to“win,” thereby overriding the beliefs and preferences of a minority (orminorities), Friends strive, through thoughtful deliberation, to find “asense of the meeting” that, put into words, becomes a decision thatall can support. The weaving of individual voices into a single visiontakes time, open-mindedness coupled with conviction, a measure offaith, and goodwill. In the secular world the word “consensus”describes an outcome lodged in general agreement. Most Friends pre-fer the concept “sense of the meeting” to describe the promise ofinsight that encourages people with disparate views to search togetherfor positions to hold and actions to take.

The Conduct of MeetingsGatherings of faculty or students or parents or alumni or trustees canbe considered “Meetings for Worship with a concern for business” inwhich to discern the divine will for Friends School. Although theschool, as a corporate entity, has levels of authority and feels the pressof deadlines, decision-making is sensitive to Quaker process. The dis-cussion, without the strictures of a system like Roberts’ Rules of Order,is open and free-flowing, but there is also a commitment to “rightorder” that guides groups as they labor together to make decisions.

Ideally, all meetings begin with silent worship during which thoseattending can set aside preconceived ideas, prepare to listen to thethoughts of others and the spirit within, and become disposed tomove forward as a group. An agenda provides an overview of thebusiness ahead and often differentiates between informational itemsand matters requiring a decision.

Queries:1. Do I understand that as we make

decisions we are seeking the divinewill for Friends School?

2. Do I understand the differencebetween a decision made by votingand a decision made by consensusthat a group has arrived at throughseeking the sense of the meeting?

3. Do I come to meetings with clarityabout my own deepest convictions?At the same time, am I open toweighing facts, opinions, and ideasas the group reaches a decision?


The School runs its meetings in ways that encourage theshaping of decisions that all can support. To develop agreementrequires careful management by committee chairs or clerks who,while they do not direct meetings, do guide the process. It shouldbe clear to everyone as discussion begins where the final responsi-bility for any decision lies (only with the head of school, forexample, or with a subgroup of administrators, with the studentsor faculty or alumni or parents, or with some or all of the boardof trustees). Discussion is candid. No one dominates a discus-sion. As in Meeting for Worship, silence frames remarks. Shoulddiscussion become heated, the clerk may call for a period ofsilence before exchange of ideas continues. Minutes should recordthe high points of discussions, and reading back “a minute” writ-ten on the spot confirms the wording of any decision that thegroup reaches.

Process rather than time is of the essence. As do Friends,school groups try to “lay over” decisions of significance; proposalspresented and discussed at one meeting may not be approveduntil the next meeting. Time between meetings allows furtherconversation, more gathering of information, and careful reviewto be sure a decision will square with school precedent andSchool philosophy.

Consensus is not the same as compromise. To compromise isto pare down a proposal, each “side” giving up something.Consensus pools ideas and information to build a better propos-al. For Quakers, “sense of the meeting” implies spirit-led decisionmaking. In our school setting, this might mean allowing as fullyas possible the flow of creative energy of a group of people work-ing together to shape a common vision.

All should be clear that consensus does not require unanimitybefore action can occur. In Friends’ meetings, anyone not com-fortable approving the “sense of the meeting” may choose to“step aside,” allowing business to go forward. There are occasions

Queries:1. Do I fully understand and work comfortably with

decision making in the spirit of Friends?

2. Are meetings held in a spirit of worship, under-standing, and optimism? Do I set aside my ownpreconceived notions, seeking divine guidanceas it emerges in the course of discussion?Does the pace of meetings, as we seek truth,encourage thoughtful consideration of informa-tion and ideas?

3. As we seek a sense of the meeting, do I listenwith respect and genuine interest to each per-son’s point of view, whether or not I agree? Do Iweigh pros and cons in a fair and logical way?Do I hold proposed decisions in the light of theirfuture impact?

4. Do I understand that groups speak throughtheir actions but also through any failure to act?

5. Do I come to meetings having read materialsand otherwise prepared? Do I actively partici-pate? Do I balance self-expression and self-restraint? When clear, do I stand up to be heardand speak in such a way as not to put othersdown?

6. When a decision has been reached, do I sup-port it publicly? When necessary, do I respectconfidentiality?


when someone is neither comfortable with a decision nor com-fortable stepping aside; then, for the time being no decision isreached. Friends recognize that failure to act is itself an act, butright action may often require the redirection that comes onlywhen a single person objects out of his or her conviction.

Sometimes business must be confidential, but ordinarily thegoal of Friends is to be open about decisions and the reasoningsupporting them. No matter the tenor of the discussion, once adecision is reached, all support it publicly. Good record keepingis important; minutes are kept on file, and significant decisionsappear in policy statements and policy manuals.

In business meetings, as in worship, there is a spirit of curiosi-ty and optimism as everyone, in Quaker parlance, “waits for theway to open.” What results from this well-ordered style of deci-sion-making is often surprising—new, and more enlightenedthan the thinking any one person has brought to a meeting.


Cooperation and CompetitionQuakers believe that there is the spirit of God’s truth in each individ-ual. We seek to recognize that spirit in others; and as a group, webenefit from expressing and sharing our truth. Friends place a highvalue on seeking through collaboration what is true in knowledge andright in action.

At Friends School, this philosophy is reflected in the classroom,on the stage, in the studio, and on the playing field. Students areencouraged to discover and pursue their individual talents and to rec-ognize that growth in others. This development is accomplished in acooperative atmosphere of self-discovery, intellectual growth, and aca-demic, artistic, and athletic achievement. Students can find definitionof their accomplishments by a growing understanding of their ownpotential, rather than by simply seeking to surpass other students.

“Doing one’s best” to express all one’s talent and potential is verydifferent from “being the best” in a socially competitive sense.Students, faculty, and parents are encouraged to aim their effortstowards “doing one’s best” rather than “being the best.” This depar-ture from the commonly held goal of “being the best,” which is oftenat a cost to others, is challenging. Perhaps the challenge is most clear-ly seen in athletic contests.

Athletics offers a particular opportunity to increase social andemotional maturity, as well as physical abilities and mental concentra-tion. Athletic contestants must struggle for appropriate balance of thecompetitive urge to win and the spirit of good sportspersonship andteamwork. All strive to engage in a fair contest, treat others withrespect, and accept the results with dignity.

Recognizing that comparisons between people are inevitable,Friends School strives for a consistent model of valuing the funda-mental worth of each student, faculty member, and employee. At thesame time, Friends acknowledges its responsibility to prepare eachstudent to enter a world where an individual’s efforts are judged andrewarded and where one’s well-being may depend upon others andtheir opinions. At Friends School, we seek to strike a balance betweencompelling societal standards of excellence in achievement and the

Queries:

For the individual

1. In what ways can I seek a greater under-standing and knowledge by sharing what Iam learning with others who are sharingwith me what they are learning?

2. Are grades and academic honors the onlymeasure of my growth as an interested,creative student? How can I keep gradesand sought-after recognition in perspec-tive?

3. How can my individual light combine withothers to create a greater light rather thantrying to outshine others?

4. In expressing my energy and best effort incompetitive events, what are the ways forme to avoid slipping into destructive conflictwith my opponents where winning at anycost submerges the values of cooperativeteamwork and good sportspersonship?

5. Do I value the fruits of cooperation andfriendship as well as the satisfaction ofindividual success and victory?


equally important nurturance of spiritual values imbued from the pre-primary levels through upper school.

In a Quaker setting, a child’s education begins in a sheltered andnurturing way, with ample praise, recognition, and reward; extra careis taken to uphold the fundamental worth of every child in the faceof competitive pressures. As a young person matures, he or she learnshow to interact as a thoughtful, principled individual in a communityof widening values. Students are encouraged to develop a healthy self-image and a healthy group identity, while learning that excessive per-sonal “specialness” or group elitism can undercut the harmony of anycommunity and of the wider society. At Friends School, the lessons inthe classroom, in the studio, and on the playing field and the exem-plary interactions of staff, students, and teachers show “what love cando.”

For the community

1. In celebrating our successes and mile-stones together at various levels of ourlearning and achievement, how do weclearly acknowledge the fundamentalworth of every person in his or her lifejourney?

2. How do we provide separate opportuni-ties to recognize and reward specialachievement in the arts, academics, andsports?

3. How can we be careful that celebrationsof achievement do not engender destruc-tive feelings of excessive pride or inferior-ity?

4. How can the very quality of our interac-tions with one another change society?


Friends School as a Caring CommunityThe basic Quaker belief in a “seed” of the light in every human beingand the “infinite love of God” provides a foundation for FriendsSchool’s commitment to social, civic and environmental responsibili-ty. As members of the Friends School community, we recognize theinterdependence of all things and the need to live simply, making acontribution to the renewal of nature and the continuing diversity oflife. At Friends School, we are aware of the fragility and sacredness ofeach person. The many instances of exploitation, discrimination,injustice and strife throughout the world call us to action as a Quakercommunity to promote harmony, equality, peace and simplicity onour campus, in our communities and in the world.

At Friends School, our community service and outreach programsare integrated throughout our curriculum in each division and pro-vide an opportunity for the Friends School community to becomeinvolved in social witness and action. According to Robert LawrenceSmith in his book, A Quaker Book of Wisdom, “True service,Quakers believe, responds to need wherever it exists in the humanfamily—not simply to the problems of our direct kin, close friends,and political allies.” Students, faculty, staff, and parents at FriendsSchool are involved in a broad range of projects such as organizingrelief efforts for victims of wars or natural disasters. Students gain reallife experiences in our own community by serving at schools, shelters,soup kitchens, and other agencies.

The Friends School’s commitment to environmental responsibilityis demonstrated in a school-wide science curriculum which affordsstudents the opportunity to investigate the interconnectedness of theuniverse. Activities on special days unite students across divisions inprojects to improve our environment on our campus and in our com-munity. Beginning in Lower School, children explore their roles as“stewards of the Earth” through units on conservation, recycling,

Queries:1. As a Friends school, how do we find

ways to “let our lives speak” on theissues of social, civic, and environ-mental responsibility in our commu-nity?

2. How do we respect the “light of God”in each individual and his or her rightto be treated with dignity andrespect?

3. How do we acknowledge and appre-ciate the diversity among our friendsand associates, avoiding unkindness,prejudice, and mistreatment?

4. Do we support and actively partici-pate in programs in our communitythat promote harmony and equalityregardless of race, ethnicity, religion,culture, gender, income, age, sexualorientation, physical or learning dif-ferences?

5. How do we show concern for theenvironment in our use of naturalresources, living simply and in har-mony with nature?


energy, and ecology. The examination of this interrelationship contin-ues in Middle School curriculum emphasizing responsible land useand human impact on the environment. In Upper School, criticalissues in environmental science are incorporated in the science cur-riculum covering such topics as global warming, habitat destruction,and energy generation.

Recognizing the uniqueness of each individual and his/her right tobe treated with dignity and respect, we strive each day to act responsi-bly in our relationship with each other, our community, and theworld around us. In classrooms, students are taught to respect eachother, live peaceably, and use conflict resolution techniques to settledifferences. As a Friends school, we are called on to examine ouractions and behaviors so that they reflect a caring, interdependentcommunity.


A Brief History Of Friends SchoolQuakers appeared in England in the late 1640s during the turbulent time of thePuritan Revolution. While they eschewed any sort of religious hierarchy, their origina-tor and most prominent preacher was George Fox. Quakers often ran afoul of theauthorities in the 1650s and 1660s because of their radical beliefs (for that time) inequality and pacifism, and their refusal to swear judicial oaths. While they grew inEngland, many saw America as a more welcoming location for them to worship with-out interference. Many settled in Pennsylvania under the leadership of the Quaker pro-prietor William Penn. Quakers also saw Maryland as relatively tolerant, and they estab-lished thirty meetings in Maryland between 1650 and 1690. As Baltimore grew in thelate 1700s, large numbers of Quakers settled in the city, building a meetinghouse atFayette and Aisquith Streets in 1781.

A group of Baltimore Quakers established Friends School in 1784, to provide a“guarded education” for their children. It was under the care of Baltimore Meeting,which had just built a Meetinghouse at Fayette and Aisquith Street, near Fell’s Point. Atfirst, ten to fifteen Quaker children attended classes which were held in theMeetinghouse. By 1800, the Quaker children moved into their own building nearby atBaltimore Street and Central Avenue. The teacher had to collect fees from the families,$4/quarter for reading and writing, $8/quarter if math was included (in 1818).

As the city of Baltimore grew, many Quakers moved to its new center, close to theInner Harbor. They built a new Meetinghouse in 1805 on Lombard Street, on the sitewhere the Holiday Inn now stands. In the 1840s, the Lombard Street Meeting, whichthen had oversight of the School, moved the School to their Meetinghouse. Up to1864, the School remained small, hiring only Quaker teachers to teach Quaker chil-dren. The average enrollment from 1850 to 1864 was just 42 children.

1864 marked the arrival of a new principal, Eli Lamb, a Quaker educational entre-preneur, who wanted to build Friends School into a larger institution. In 1865, headded high school classes, making Friends the first private high school in Baltimore. Itwas also the only co-educational school in Baltimore in the post-Civil War era. Heopened the School to children of other faiths; as of 1883, the School taught 50 Quakerchildren (13% of the total) and 320 who were not Quaker. Quakers had also begun toassimilate into the larger society, and a Quaker and Christian education was appealingto Baltimore’s rapidly growing middle classes.


For a second time, a population shift in Baltimore brought about another relocationof the School and Meeting. In the 1860s and 1870s, Friends School families began tomove out of the Lombard Street area, which was becoming heavily commercialized andindustrialized, and to move to Bolton Hill, a neighborhood directly to the north.Parents wanted a more residential setting for their school, and Eli Lamb then movedthe School to McCulloh Street in 1887. For the next eleven years, there was no formallink between the Meeting and Friends School. The Meeting also moved to Park Avenuein Bolton Hill and set up its own elementary school. In 1898, Eli Lamb and the ParkAvenue Meeting agreed to merge the two schools and to build a new school buildingnext to the Meetinghouse. In 1899, Friends School reopened in its new location,already blessed with a reputation for excellence. Its graduates were automatically admit-ted to Johns Hopkins, Swarthmore and Baltimore Female College (Goucher) withouthaving to take an entrance exam.

Eli Lamb retired in 1899, followed by John Gregg and then Edmund Wilson, whoran Friends School from 1903 to 1927 and increased enrollment from 201 to 550 stu-dents. While Edmund Wilson was a Quaker and the Education Committee of ParkAvenue Meeting oversaw the school, neither required the students and faculty to attendMeeting for Worship.

In the 1920s, there was growing pressure to relocate the School in North Baltimore,where many of the families lived. The Education Committee agreed to such a move in1926 and bought a 24-acre tract of land on Charles Street for $80,000. The Schoolstarted construction on the primary building in 1928, and the School moved out instages, with the Upper School building opening in 1936. The School could not escapethe hard times of the 1930s, and enrollment dropped to 288 in 1936-37 and did notreturn to 500 students until after 1945. Principals William Pike and Edwin Zavitz ablyoversaw the relocation and kept the School solvent during the depression. Park AvenueMeeting decided to follow the School and built a new Meetinghouse adjacent to theSchool in 1949, taking the name of Stony Run Meeting.

The most divisive issue of that era was the question of integration. No school inMaryland, a border state, was integrated before 1952. While the Brown v. Board ofEducation decision of 1954 did not apply to private schools, Bliss Forbush, theHeadmaster from 1943-60, and Canby Robinson, Chair of the Education Committee,decided to end segregation. Implementation would be cautious; for 1955-56, blackchildren would be admitted only to the Kindergarten; in each succeeding year, the nextgrade would be integrated. An emotional meeting with the Education Committee and


parents in the Old Gym revealed that 60% of parents opposed the change. Never-theless, the School went forward with its plan, and Stony Run Meeting promised finan-cial support if an exodus of families would jeopardize the School’s solvency. While 18students withdrew from the School over this issue, enrollment actually increased bynine for 1955-56. When the Education Committee announced in 1963 that FriendsSchool would be open at all levels to all races, parents accepted the decision withoutmuch comment. Within a decade, integration had been achieved, which paralleled anational change of consciousness.

In 1960, the Education Committee appointed Byron Forbush as Headmaster, fol-lowing his father. The late 1960s saw some student criticism, particularly over the dresscode. While this passed in the 1970s, the idea of empowerment for all groups withinthe School community remained. Community members who were not Friends askedfor representation on the Education Committee, which had been limited to Quakers.Dean Esslinger, the School’s historian, noted that financially “the School had outgrownthe Meeting”. The School’s budget in 1973 came to $2 million, compared with$23,000 for the Meeting. On the other hand, some in Stony Run Meeting feared thatadding non-Quakers to the Education Committee would diminish the Quaker valuesin the School. Nevertheless, the School separated from the Meeting in 1973 to form itsown legal identity, and the Meeting then established a new Board of Trustees to overseethe School, with the requirement that fifteen of the twenty-two members had to bemembers of the Religious Society of Friends. In a subsequent change, half of the twen-ty regular members of the Board must be Quaker.

Byron Forbush served as Head of Friends for 38 years and oversaw the gradualgrowth of the School from 664 students in 1960 to 1010 in 1997-98. While newbuildings and programs were added, the School kept its reputation for academic excel-lence and sought to maintain Quaker values, as all students grades 1-12 participated inMeeting for Worship and community service activities. After Byron Forbush’s longtenure, Jon Harris assumed the leadership of the School as Head from 1998 to 2002.

In many ways, Friends School’s history mirrors that of our country. The Schoolbegan in 1784, the year after England recognized our independence. The School hadmodest beginnings, but then grew and grew. It could not insulate itself from the issuesof the times, such as the wars, the unrest of the 1960s, and integration. Nevertheless,throughout these changes, the School sought to nurture in students timeless Quakervalues.


Faith and Practice of Baltimore Yearly Meeting August, 1988

12. Education (section 12 under the heading on FAITH, B. Life of the Spirit) Education haslong been important to Quakers. Friends feel that education is a lifetime effort todevelop an open and informed mind and a seeking and sensitive spirit.

It became apparent to early Friends that some form of education would be necessaryfor leadership and ministry if the Society were to be effective in promoting Truth. In1668 George Fox urged that schools be established for girls as well as boys. JohnWoolman, in 1758, cautioned Friends to “watch the spirit of children” and “nurturethem in Gospel Love.” And, in 1831, Joseph John Gurney exhorted, “We shall neverthrive upon ignorance.”

Friends are concerned to educate for individual growth, community responsibility, aknowledge of God’s world and a sense of wonder at continuing revelation in thischanging universe.

c. Friends’ Educational Institutions (part c. in section 12)

Formal education among Friends was developed early. In 17th century England,Quakers as dissenters could not attend local church schools or the universities. Friendsdesigned their own schools to provide an education in “whatsoever things are useful inthe creation,” as George Fox put it. Some of these schools were open to all and becamethe forerunners of the free schools which developed in the 19th century on both sidesof the Atlantic.

In America, Meetings sponsored elementary and, later, secondary schools to provideeducation in a religious atmosphere designed to prepare the pupils for active member-ship in the Society of Friends. Many Friends’ schools survive as elementary or second-ary schools, or as colleges. Baltimore Friends were involved with Philadelphia Friendsin the founding of Swarthmore College. As in other well-known colleges such as BrynMawr and Pomona, some Quaker connection continues. Others, such as Haverford,Earlham, Wilmington, Guilford, Malone, Whittier, William Penn, George Fox, FriendsUniversity and the more recently established Friends World College, retain a moredirect connection with one or more Yearly Meetings.


Friends’ schools traditionally offer opportunities to put ideals into prac-tice. They nurture students spiritually and intellectually. They seek to createan environment where pupils can grow together toward Truth through awide range of experiences. They promote a way of life compatible with theQuaker interpretation of Christianity and are a means of Friends’ outreach.While each Friends’ school is unique, each is a caring community based onbelief in that of God in each human being. Respect for the individual and aspirit of give and take among pupils and teachers characterize Friends’schools.

For many years Friends have been concerned about the problem ofexclusivity in private schools, especially in those carrying the name ofFriends. Those concerned with any Quaker-related school would agree thateach institution has a continuing responsibility to discourage snobbishnessand feelings of false superiority, to encourage economy and simplicity and tocultivate a realization that with special opportunities go special obligations.A Meeting that has direct responsibility for a Friends’ school, or that has anyFriends’ school in its community, should assist the school to maintain itsQuaker character.


A Glossary of Quaker TermsThe Religious Society of Friends, often called Quakers, formed as a group in the mid-dle 1600’s in England. Today, the worldwide membership of the Religious Society ofFriends is approximately 300,000.

“The Religious Society of Friends holds as the basis of its faith the belief that Godendows each human being with a measure of the Divine Spirit. The gift of God’s pres-ence and the light of God’s truth have been available to all people in all ages.” (fromthe introductory statement in Faith and Practice of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of theReligious Society of Friends, 1988.)

Affirmation, n. or affirm, v.: A legal declaration made by Friends or others who conscientiouslydecline to take an oath. “ I affirm such and such is so.” rather than: “I swear …” Swearing anoath implies having a double standard in regard to speaking the truth.

Attender: Someone who comes with some frequency to Meeting for Worship and other Meetingfunctions, but has not yet sought or been accepted into membership in the Society of Friends.

Breaking Meeting (“closing meeting”): Term used to designate the ending of the Meeting forWorship when those who sit at the head of the Meeting shake hands with the person next tothem.

Center Down: An endeavor to quiet our restless thoughts and open our hearts, in order that wemay hear God speak directly to us.

Clearness, Committee for: A committee specially formed to assist a person or the meeting toclarify thinking about an important decision or concern, such as marriage.

Clerks: The presiding clerk is the person who conducts the business and who formulates the“sense” of the meeting of a formal Meeting for Business or a committee. A business meetingmay also have a recording clerk. These responsibilities are similar to a chairperson and a secre-tary. The Clerk of a Monthly Meeting is main officer of the group selected by a nominating com-mittee and approved by the Monthly Meeting. Being a clerk has few standing powers of authorityand the person serves without payment. The authority of the organization resides with the wholemembership of the Monthly Meeting when it meets for business. Particular responsibilities aredelegated to individuals and committees who are required to report back to the Monthly Meeting.


Concern: A concern, whether of an individual or a Meeting, is a formulated interest so deep andvigorous that it motivates to action. It is often a spiritual leading to action — task-oriented; andwhen completed, the concern is laid down.

Consensus: A group business decision-making process requiring unanimity of agreement that issimilar but not identical to the Quaker business process of finding the “sense of the meeting.”

Continuing Revelation: The belief that God still speaks to people directly, not just through histori-cal Holy Scripture.

Convincement: The process of coming to certainty on an important matter, such as, membershipin the Society of Friends.

Corporate: The Quaker use of the term corporate refers to the action of a group’s seeking togetherthe will of God for their individual and community life. The Meeting for Worship is corporate wor-ship. The activity of the group decision process—quiet waiting and group discussion - is intend-ed to reflect the group’s corporate search for truth.

Discernment: The process of arriving at the right course of action through spiritual perception andclear rational thought.

Eldering: The act of encouraging and/or questioning an individual’s behavior and/or expression.Eldering is to be done with courtesy and loving concern for the individual, even when it is offeredas a correction.

Facing Benches or Facing Seats: The benches in the front of the Meeting room, facing thebody of the Meeting, where once only Friends ministers, elders and other leaders sat. Today, inmost Meetings for Worship anyone is welcome to sit anywhere in the room, including the FacingBenches. At wedding and memorial services, the couple and/or family often sits on the FacingBenches.

Faith and Practice (or The Book of Discipline): An official edited book of Friends’ testimonies,beliefs, and practices compiled by a Yearly Meeting body of Friends. The book is meant to pro-vide guidance (queries and advices) for individuals and organizational groupings of the religiousbody. The structure and membership of the group, the procedures of well ordered business, thelegalities of marriage, and stewardship of group property are explained. These are sources of tra-dition and not dogma. They are periodically updated to respond to current needs.


First Day: Sunday. Quakers have traditionally referred to the days of the week by number, avoidingthe days named for pagan gods. This is not a firm Quaker custom today but more a familiarusage. We would tend to refer to First Day school, rather than Sunday school for the children.

Gathered Meeting: A phrase used to describe those special occasions when the Meeting forWorship attains a generally felt sense of divine Presence, touching the hearts of all worshipersand unites them in a common experience of holy fellowship. A Covered Meeting is synonymous.

Hold in the Light: An offering by an individual or group to keep in prayerful thought someone whois suffering in sickness or in need.

Inner Light: This refers to the presence of God in our hearts and lives, a reality, which guides anddirects us, which gives us strength to act on this guidance, and thus brings us into unity with theSpirit of God. Also called the Truth, the Spirit of Guidance, the Inward Light, the Christ Within orthe Holy Spirit.

Leading: Being moved by the Holy Spirit or Inner Light of Christ. A spiritual motivation.

Meeting for Business: The gathering of members and attenders where the business of theSociety of Friends takes place. For a particular local grouping of Friends, this is on a monthlybasis, thus the name Monthly Meeting. Business follows the traditional practices of Friends; thereis no voting. Agreement for group action is reach by arriving at “a sense of the meeting,” aprocess similar to but not the same as consensus.

Meeting for Worship: The gathering of Friends for the purpose of worshiping God. Traditionally,Friends met in silent, expectant waiting for leadings of the Spirit, which might inspire anyone ofthe group to offer a message or prayer. Today this form of worship would be called unpro-grammed. There are also Friends groupings where they worship in a more programmed way sim-ilar to other Protestant denominations.

Meeting House: The Quaker equivalent of a church building, which houses a large, simple meet-ing room in which Meeting for Worship is held. The building may have rooms for other First Dayfunctions for children and adults. Friends may worship anywhere there are few distractions and asense of quiet: a rented hall, a home, or in the outdoors.


Membership: When an attender of a Meeting wants to join the Meeting he or she applies formembership. The process may vary slightly from one Meeting to another; but usually, the appli-cant writes a thoughtful letter to the Meeting. This is followed by visit to the applicant from sever-al seasoned Friends who are appointed to help the Meeting assess the person’s familiarity withQuaker faith and practice and to recommend to the Meeting their assent of the applicant’s readi-ness. Then the Monthly Meeting would, in its regular business meeting, consider the applicationand could approve the person for membership.

Message: A spoken message or ministry by an individual inspired by Divine leading in a Meetingfor Worship. A message may come to an individual that personal or not for the group, and it is amatter of discernment whether or not to stand and deliver the message to a gathering.

Monthly Meeting: The local organizational unit of the Society of Friends, meeting for businessonce monthly. Cities may have several Monthly Meeting groupings. A group may be as small as ahand full or as large as 500 in membership.

Minute: A minute (singular or plural, minutes) is the recorded action of a Quaker business deci-sion(s), formalizing the “sense of the meeting.” This is usually formulated during the businessproceedings and read and agreed upon by the assembled group. All such minutes are recordedby a recording clerk as the minutes of that particular meeting and carefully kept for all time (orso it seems). Even appreciations or sympathies may be “minuted” and communicated throughcorporate agreement.

One Is Moved to Speak: In the quietness of the Meeting for Worship one feels the need or theurge to speak. This is considered to be the urge of a spiritual leading and not a public speakingopportunity.

Opening: An opening is a revelation of the Spirit of Guidance, an insight into the truth of themoment, a spiritual knowing. See also To Proceed as Way Opens.

Plain Language: Refers to the use of “thee, thy, thou, and thine” by Friends. The plain languagebears witness to the testimony of early Friends concerning the equality of all people before God.Plain language and plain dress became the outward hallmark of Friends in wider English societyof the late 1600’s. Today few Friends follow these traditional public statements of speech anddress; but confusion persists identifying Quakers with other plain dressing settlers ofPennsylvania, the Amish, who continue a similar tradition today.


Popcorn Meeting for Worship: A derisive term for a meeting where one person after anotherspeaks often in reaction to one another, without periods of thoughtful silence between messages.Some meetings filled with too many messages may be noisy and appear to lack a spiritual cen-ter. These may be experienced as the opposite of a Gathered Meeting.

Proceed as Way Opens: This refers to being open: waiting for guidance, avoiding hasty judgmentor action, and attuning to the Truth of each moment so as to move forward. It is the spiritualguidance which may come in a time of seeking or entirely unexpectedly, bringing intimations forpreviously unforeseen direction.

Quakers: The unofficial name of the Religious Society of Friends. It was the name given thembecause of their “quaking” when speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in the earlydays of their founding. Many Friends report feeling this inner quaking and confusion when theurge to speak in Meeting for Worship is especially strong within them.

Queries: A device to prompt individual and corporate self-examination. The questions give opportu-nity to ponder their implications and to examine our own conduct in the light of them.Questioning can suggest a moral and spiritual approach to our everyday dilemmas and accruedblindnesses without dictating the result of the enquiry.

Right Ordering: Done in keeping with Quaker precedent and practice. This is an oral and a writtentradition, the experience of over 300 years of Quaker living. Some of these practices andprocesses are in the various Faith and Practice Books of Discipline of the Society.

Sense of the Meeting: In reaching decisions on items of business, Friends do not vote. After fullconsideration of a matter and allowing for the development of new insights, the collective judg-ment of the Meeting is gathered and expressed by the clerk for the approval of the Meeting. Ifthere is marked divergence of views and no decision is reached, the matter is postponed (heldover) until a later date for further consideration.

Standing Aside: Within the Quaker business process, when persons are not in unity with thegrowing “sense of the meeting” but is not strongly opposed to it, they can stand aside and not tryto thwart the action of the group, letting the decision for action go forward. If they had a strongconcern, they could singly stop the movement of the group toward a decision, but they could alsorespectfully stand aside. In either case, in Friends process they would be heard and consideredand not overridden. This is slightly different from abstaining in a voting business process.


Testimonies: Convictions based on the long experience of Friends that have given direction to theirlives. Areas of concern where Quakers have taken principled stands, letting their lives speak theirtruth. Some of these testimonies are: seeking for Divine Guidance, simplicity, integrity, peace asopposed to war, temperance in all things, affirmation instead of “swearing” in court, the worth ofeach individual regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender orientation, or religion. TheTestimonies are guidance, situationally considered, not binding rules of behavior.

That of God in Every One: An expression used by George Fox, the founder of Quakerism: “…answering that of God in every one.” See also Inner Light.

Threshing Session: A business or ad hoc meeting session intended to get issues out in the openwhere everyone may say what is on his or her mind. Recommendations may come from such aprocess that would go to a committee or the Monthly or Yearly Meeting for action.

Truth: A synonym for Light, Inner Light, Christ within, the Spirit of Guidance.

Unity: The ideal of corporate agreement harmonized by the Spirit of Guidance. Being out of unityspeaks of an individual or group being out of harmony with the testimonies of Friends and theethos of the larger group.

Weighty Friend: An influential member and leader of a Meeting, sometimes referred to as anelder.

Witness: To witness, to let one’s life speak, is to stand up for a truth or deeply held belief. It is anexpression of what one divines as the will of God for a particular situation. The Quaker testi-monies arose out of repeated individual and corporate witness and have become shared beliefsor truths which guide our lives.

Yearly Meeting: The grouping of many Monthly Meetings from a particular geographic area (oftenthe size of a small country) that meets together annually for mutual worship, business, and sup-port. The Yearly Meeting has an advisory and supportive role to the Monthly Meetings, but has noreligious authority over them.

Note: A more comprehensive glossary is available at the Stony Run Meeting Library in the section called

Readings About The Society of Friends.


Bibliography and NotesShould you wish to explore Friends, Quakerism and Quaker views of education further,you may find these books helpful. Most of these books are in the Stony Run MeetingLibrary and many are in the libraries of Friends School. Most are available for purchasefrom the book table at Stony Run Meeting House, on internet bookstores, or theFriends General Conference Bookstore: www.quakerbooks.org or (800) 966-4556.

The Amazing Fact of Quaker Worship. George H. Gorman, Quaker Home Service, London, 1979,describes the Quaker worship process in an easy to understand format.

A Book of Quaker Wisdom. Robert Lawrence Smith, William Morrow Inc., New York,, 1998: A littlebook of Quaker beliefs in practice by a Quaker educator.

The Courage to Teach. Parker J. Palmer, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, 1998: A thoughtfulbook on teaching and learning from an author with a Quaker background.

Faith and Practice of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Sandy Spring, MD,1988: Guidelines for Quaker organization and practice.

Friend: The Story of George Fox and the Quakers. Jane Yolen, Seabury Press, New York, 1972. A biogra-phy of the founder of Quakerism written for young adults (presently out of print but in libraries).

Friends for Three Hundred Years. Howard H. Brinton, 1952 original, Pendle Hill Publications,Wallingford, PA, 1965: A standard, readable guide on Quaker beliefs.

Friends for Two Hundred Years. Dean R. Esslinger, Friends School of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD,1983:The History of Friends School of Baltimore (presently out of print but in libraries).

Growing into Goodness. Paul A. Lacey, Pendle Hill Publications, Wallingford, PA,1998: On Quakereducation by Quaker educator and college professor. Excellent and thoughtful.

A Guide to Quaker Practice. Howard H. Brinton, Pendle Hill Pamphlet No, 20, Wallingford, PA,1955: A pamphlet providing a brief overview of Friends’ practices.

The Journal of George Fox. ed. John L, Nickalls, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1952: Thejournal of the founder of Quakerism.

The Journal of John Woolman. Oxford University Press, New York, 1971: A Quaker who traveledamong the Indians and early American settlements and lived this faith.


A Living Faith: An Historical Study of Quaker Beliefs. Wilmer A Cooper, Friends United Press,Richmond, IN, 1990: A theological and historical view of Quaker beliefs by the founding dean ofthe Earlham School of Religion.

Minute by Minute: History of the Baltimore Monthly Meeting of Friends, Homewood and Stony Run.Barbara C. Mallonee, Jane Karkalits Bonny, and Nicholas B. Fessenden: A history of BaltimoreFriends from the time of their first arrival on Maryland shores in 1672 to the present. Published in1992 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Baltimore Monthly Meeting [the group that alsofounded Friends School of Baltimore].

The Peaceable Kingdom; A Peculiar People; The Lamb’s War. Jan de Hartog, Scribners: A trilogy ofQuaker historical novels (presently out of print but in libraries). The first volume about the begin-nings of Quakerism is perhaps the most interesting and stands alone.

The Peculiar Mission of a Quaker School. Douglas H. Heath, A Pendle Hill Pamphlet No. 225,Wallingford, PA, 1982.

Quaker Faith and Practice: The book of Christian discipline of the Yearly Meeting of the Religious Societyof Friends (Quaker) in Britain, Second Edition. London, 1995/1999: A recently revised resource.The second half of the book is a rich collection of testimonies of Friends through the generations,showing the working of the Living Spirit in our midst, and the first half references church govern-ment and practices.

Internet Sites

http://www.quaker.org/ Comprehensive Quaker links

http://dmoz.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Christianity/Denominations/Religious_Society_of_Friends/Organizations/ Open Directory—Quaker links

http://www.bym-rsf.org/ Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends

http://friendscouncil.org/ Friends Council on Education

FRIENDS SCHOOL OF BALTIMORE5114 North Charles Street • Baltimore, MD 21210

410-649-3200 • www.friendsbalt.org

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